Common Behavioral Problems in Labradoodles

No dog is a perfect angel all the time, no matter how well-trained he is. When you commit to owning a labradoodle, you have to be prepared for a few issues with behavior along the way. However, most behavioral problems are easily tackled with correct training and by understanding why your dog is acting the way he is.

Jumping Up

Jumping up is one of those behaviors that is commonly reinforced by owners. Imagine that you’ve come home from work or a trip to the shops and your labradoodle rushes to greet him. He jumps up to get closer to you and you fuss him because you’re so pleased to see him. This might seem like a reasonable response, but by petting your doodle when he jumps up, you’re telling him that it’s a desired behavior, thus he has no idea he’s doing something wrong. So if he later gets in trouble for jumping up at an inappropriate time, he won’t understand the problem. The best thing you can do with a dog who jumps up is ignore him. Fold your arms and don’t make eye contact when he’s jumping up at you, but as soon as he has all four paws on the ground, you can pet him and give him praise. He’ll soon learn that jumping up isn’t allowed.

Barking

All dogs bark to some degree and it’s a perfectly natural canine behavior. It’s your dog’s way of telling you that something’s wrong or that he’s excited or anxious. The problem is when his barking becomes excessive. This can be for a variety of reasons, including fear, separation anxiety or simply to try to guard his home. Although it might sound like a bad idea in a dog who already likes to bark, teaching your labradoodle to “speak” along with the “quiet” command is one of the most effective ways or curbing problem barking. If you’re dog is vocalizing due to separation, this can be a more difficult issue. Try making sure he has plenty of exercise and avoid leaving him alone for long periods of time where possible.

Chewing

Chewing is another behavior that comes naturally to dogs. Chewing gives them something to do and also keeps their gums and teeth healthy. Chewing shouldn’t be a problem unless your labradoodle is sinking his teeth into your personal belongings. This usually happens when your dog has never been taught what he is and isn’t allowed to chew. It’s important to set these boundaries early on to avoid your dog gaining a tendency toward destruction. Teach him the “drop” or “leave it” so you can get him to relinquish any taboo items if you catch him in the act. Then just divert his attention by giving him an item he is allowed to gnaw on, such as a chew toy. While he’s learning what’s off limits in the chewing department, be careful to keep things out of the reach of his jaws to avoid any unhappy incidents.

Digging

Once again, digging is a natural behavior and is something that some dogs just love to do. However, this isn’t much consolation when your labradoodle has just dug up your prize winning begonias. Unfortunately, some dogs are just prone to digging and there’s not much that can be done about it. Extra exercise could use up some of your doodle’s excess energy and give him less of an urge to dig, but the best option is just to give him an area where it’s okay to dig. This could be a sandbox or simply a little-used area of your yard. Bury some toys or tasty treats in that area for him to dig up and if you see him digging in an unwanted spot, redirect him to the place he is allowed to dig.

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